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I joined when people were still raving about it after two years and I knew it wasn’t a passing fad, but I was a Facebook fiend and it wasn’t until I started writing again and wanted to network that I really got into it.

How often do you use it?

I check in every day and it’s the first place I turn to for breaking news of any kind.

What do you like most about it?

With Twitter you can reach people in your field that might have been inaccessible before. I love that you can talk directly to your heroes as well as make new connections – it’s the closest I’ll probably come to having a conversation with Stephen Fry or Salman Rushdie. It’s a great social leveller. I never tire of reading witty, clever ripostes and I always come away inspired.

Do you use any software to manage your tweets?

I signed up with Hootsuite but haven’t got much further than that yet. It’s a fine line between being a Twitter user and being used by Twitter and a part of me is loath to be too organised about it.

Do you access from home and/or out and about on your mobile?

Since we began our pared down life in Canada, I’ve been living and breathing without a mobile. It’s been two years and I haven’t been ostracised although I’m sure some of my friends think I’m clinically dead.

Do you run more than one Twitter feed?

As a writer, my personality drives my business so I just have the one feed. You never know when a random tweet will strike a chord with a potential client.

Do you read news and blogs that are linked to tweets?

Absolutely! Otherwise it would be like having an ice cream but only eating the cone.

Check who other expats are following, you might find some great new connections, and try entering “#expat” into the search bar and see what comes up. Speak up, don’t lurk – it’s not rude, it’s what keeps twitter interesting; people wouldn’t tweet if they didn’t want a response. The more you put in, the more you get out!